Portable stove



May 15, 1951 P. N. OVERMAN 2,552,861

' PORTABLE STOVE Filed March 24, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 u Ill r fi l Q J"m (0 MI Q 0 M i (0 a) V lNl/E/V TOR PHIL/P N. OVERMA/V HIS ATTORNEYS P.N. OVERMAN PORTABLE STOVE May 15, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 24.1947 INVENTOH PHIL/P N. OVER/VAN BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented May 15, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to portable stoves, and more particularly to a boxtype of stove that can be easily carried and then opened to provide arelatively large fire box area.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a portable stove inthe form of a box, that may be used to transport fuel and utensilstherein, and which may be opened for use.

Further objects of my invention are: To provide a portable stove,hinged, and opening to form an extended cooking area; to provide aportable stove having a unique draft arrangement; and to provide a.compact portable camp stove which can be readily made to rest solidly onrough terrain.

Other objects of my invention will be appar ent or will be specificallypointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, butI do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention hereindescribed, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of theclaims.

My invention may be more fully understood by direct reference to thedrawing, wherein- Figure l is a side view of the closed stove;

Figure 2 is an end view of the closed stove;

Figure 3 is a top View showing the stove as opened;

Figure 4 is an end view of the stove as opened;

Figure 5 is a side elevation view of a modification of the stove ofFigure 1;

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the stove of Figure 5, partiallybroken away to expose its interior;

Figure 7 is a top plan view showing the stove of Figure 5 in its set-upcondition;

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the stove of Figure 5 in the opencondition depicted in Figure '7;

Figure 9 is a view illustrating a detail in the construction of thestove of Figure 5.

The stove of my invention is essentially a box of fireproof material,such as sheet metal, for example, having two similar halves l and 3, thebox being split longitudinally and vertically along the center line. Thetwo halves are connected by hinges 5 along the bottom division lineonly.

I prefer to incline the top surface 1 of each half upwardly from eachside Wall 8 to meet at a peak, to provide a handle 9 on one of thehalves near the peak and anchored thereto by handle hinges Ill, and toprovide a hasp ll engaging a dog lock l3 on the other half. Each half land 3 is provided with a leg element IS in the form of a U-bar extendingfrom one end wall of each half, crossing beneath the bottom 15 of thebox and running upwardly along the opposite end wall, the leg elementsbeing hinged to the end walls by hinge bolts II. The legs are free torotate outwardly only to a limited angle, such rotation of each legelement being limited by leg element stops IS on each end Wall. Thesestops also position the legs vertically when the stove is closed.

The lower portions of each side wall of the stove are provided withdraft holes 2!, and the entire bottom surface of the box is providedwith similar holes 23.

The stove may be opened by releasing hasp II and swinging the two halvesoutwardly thus causing the outward edges of the bottom to constitute thelowermost portions of the box. At the same time, the leg elements areswung outwardly and the stove comes to rest in a stable position, asshown in Figures 3 and 4. The stove rests, only partially open, on theouter bottom edges 25, and on the leg elements l5 as controlled by stops[9. In this connection, it is important to note that the area of contactwith ground or other supporting surface has thus been reduced to spacedline contacts, which facilitates the setting up of the stove for use, inspite of the roughness of the terrain upon which it is to be placed.

In its set-up condition, the extended area of the top of the stove islarge, and I prefer to provide a cooking top by the use of a foldinggrill 21 of a plurality of sections 29 joined by hinges 3i. This grill,when folded, may be stowed within the closed stove.

In the stable open position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bottomsurface and the side Walls of the stove form a pair of parallel fuelchannels 33 in which fuel, such as, for example, charcoal or similarbriekettes, may be deposited and burned. Both fuel channels are providedbelow with the draft apertures 2! and 23, as there is no fiat surface ofthe stove, when open and in operation, in contact with the ground, andair may therefore enter the stove from the sides, and through the centerbetween edges 25.

The angle of top surfaces 7 is correlated with the opening angle so thatthese surfaces are substantially perpendicular with the ground and liein substantially vertical planes when the stove is open. In that manner,an extended cooking area is provided, with complete enclosure of thefire and with full draft.

I have found that the stove of my invention may be utilized to carry,not only the grate 21,

31 but also suflicient fuel for extended operation, and that the storagespace required is small compared to the cooking area obtained when thestove is opened.

In the embodiment of Figure 5, the fire box is very similar to that ofFigure 1, the departures from the construction of that illustrated inFigure 1 residing mainly in the appurtenances applied to the box. 7 r

In lieu of the leg elements it which extend under the floor of the boxin its closed condition and function under these circumstances, as asupport for the box, I provide similar U-shaped legs 35 which are notlong enough to swing under the box, but which under the action ofgravity will lie against the box sides, with the box in its closedcondition.

However, when the box is open for use, these legs may function as suchto stabilize the box in much the same manner as those in Figure 1,suitable limit stops being provided in the form of short strips 3'! ofmetal aflixed adjacent upper ends of each side wall 8 and extendingslightly beyond the endwalls.

With the legs designed to normally rest against the box sides asdescribed, I provide at each corner of the bottom, a foot 39, preferablyutilizing for this purpose a handle hinge similar to that which holdsthe handle to the box top. These feet serve to support the box in itsclosed condition, slightly above the supporting surface to provideclearance for the box hinges.

On each of the inclinedtop surfaces i to either side of the handle, Iprovide a spit rest holder M, which in the set-up condition of thestove, will appear at each side of the cooking area where it is adaptedto receive a spit rest in the form of a metal strip 43 having aplurality of downwardly sloping edge notches 44 to selectively receiveand support a spit 45 above the cooking area.

Each spit rest is preferably flattened at one point adjacent its lowerend as by a blow from a relatively sharp instrument to produce a teat ieto act as a limiting stop for the spit rest in its holder.

Inasmuch as the spit rest'holders occupy the position previously alottedto the ha'sp'i l and dog lock iii of the embodiment of Figure 1, thecorreby Said box may be Opened to permit opposite sponding function ofsuch hasp and lock is served in the embodiment of Figure6 by a hookfastener s1.

In the modified form of my invention, the grill is preferably formed inthree sections 48, t9 and 59, joined by loose hinges 5!, the centersection 48 being of substantially the same shape but slightly less inarea than the bottom of the fire box when in its closed condition, whileeach of the end sections 48 and 5%] is somewhat less in width than theheight of the side walls.

Thus, in packing the stove for transporting the same, the grill may belaid in the bottom with the end sections of the grill upright andresting against the side walls, thus leaving the box available,substantially in its entirety, for

the packing of fuel and other items. Or, the end sections of the grillmight, as an alternative, be folded down upon the center section, inpacking the box.

When put in use, the grill may be precluded from slipping around on theopen box, by a plurality of stops depending from the grill at locations;about its periphery.-- These may take the form of cleats 54 welded tothe grill at such locations.

For those who prefer to support the stove at a substantial height aboveground, I provide at each end wall 1 and 3 adjacent its upper edge, anelement 52 similar to though preferably larger than one of the handlehinges, and adapted to receive a leg 53 in the form of a rod of thedesired length. In the set-up condition of the stove, theseleg-receiving elements will assume vertical positions to receive suchlegs. Such legs are each preferably bent at an angle to enlarge theground area enclosed thereby, thus enhancing stability of the stoveassembly. 7

When thus raised above ground, I prefer to rigidify the fire box toavoid undue sagging strain, by a hook fastener 55 adapted to span thehinge angle at each end of the box and tie the complementary end Walls 1and 3 together.

From the above description of my invention, it will be apparent that thesame will fulfill all the objects recited therefor, and while I havedescribed the same in considerable detail, I do not desire to be limitedin my protection to such details except as may be necessitated by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable stove comprising a box of fireproof material, said boxbeing divided vertically and centrally into halves, means hinging saidhalves together along the bottom division line only, whereby said boxmay be opened to permit opposite edges of the bottom thereof toconstitute the lowermost portions of said box, said box halves havingdraft openings in Walls thereof adjacent said bottom edges, a pluralityof feet aihxed to said box adjacent said bottom edges to provideclearance for said hinge means in the closed condition of said box andmeans engaging said box in its open condition for stabilizing the samewith said box halves inclined at an angle to the horizontal and saidbottom forming an inverted v.

2. A portable stove comprising a box of fireproof material, said boxbeing divided vertically and centrally into halves, each half having atop surface inclined upwardly toward the other to meet at a peak, meanshinging said halves together along the bottom division line only,whereedges of the bottom thereof to constitute the lowermost portions ofsaid box, said box halves having draft openings in Walls thereofadjacent said bottom edges, and means engaging said box 1 in its opencondition for stabilizing the same with said box halves inclined at anangle to the horizontal and said bottom forming an inverted V.

3. A portable stove comprising a box of fireproof material, said boxbeing divided vertically into halves, means hinging said halves togetheralong the bottom division line only, whereby said box may be opened topermit resting upon the opposite edges of the bottom thereof, said 'boxhalves having draft openings adjacent said bottom edges, and means forlimiting the opening of said box to a fixed angle between the bottoms ofsaid halves, said means including legs extending from said box halvesand, in the open position of said box, adapted to engage a supportingsurface and means for rigidly bracing said legs in such surface engagingpositions.

A portable stove comprising a box of fireproof material, said box beingdivided vertically and centrally into halves, each half having a topsurface inclined upwardly toward the other to meet at a peak, meanshinging said halves together along the bottom division line only,whereby said box may be opened to permit resting upon the opposite edgesof the bottom thereof, said box halves having draft openings adjacentsaid bottom edges, means for limiting the opening of said box to a fixedangle between the bottoms of said halves which will leave said topsurfaces in substantially vertical planes, said means including a legafiixed to said box in its open condition at substantially each outercorner thereof, said legs being of sufficient length to support saidopen box above a supporting surface and a hook fastener spanning theangle between the bottoms of said halves and affixed to end walls ofsaid box halves.

5. A portable stove comprising a box of fireproof material, said boxbeing divided vertically and centrally into halves, each half having atop surface inclined upwardly toward the other to meet at a peak, meanshinging said halves together along the bottom division line only,whereby said box may be opened to permit resting upon the opposite edgesof the bottom thereof, said box halves having draft openings adjacentsaid bottom edges, means for limiting 6 the opening of said box to afixed angle between the bottoms of said halves which will leave said topsurfaces in substantially vertical planes, a spit rest holder afiixed toeach of said top surfaces midway of the ends thereof, a spit restengageable in each of said spit rest holders with the box in its opencondition, and a spit adapted to span the distance between said spitrests and be supported thereby.

PHILIP N. OVERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,318,007 Gau Oct. 7, 19191,879,880 Lindsey Sept. 27, 1932 1,991,135 Brown Feb. 12, 1935 2,058,172Myers Oct. 20, 1936 2,119,799 Sivey June 7, 1938 2,164,835 Pearson etal. July 4, 1939 2,247,612 Haislip July 1, 1941 2302.880 Nelson et a1Nov. 24. 1942

